Devotionals

Read Acts 12:25-13:5

PAUL

Keeping the clay of your will supple and flexible calls for constant attention along the way. Once you grow hard and brittle to God's leading, you're less usable to Him. I want to take the truths we've wrestled with here and make them into a softening ointment you can regularly apply when a change is on the horizon. The ingredients in the ointment you need to apply include a pinch of the negative and a smidgen of thepositive.

Read Acts 12:25-13:3

PAUL

I need to make a couple of observations about the nature of ministry. The way God chooses to lead His ministry is often difficult to get our arms around. Finding direction in the corporate world comes somewhat easier. There’s a clearly stated bottom line, shareholders to report to, and defined markets that guide company decisions.

Read Acts 12:25-13:3

PAUL

While they were ministering to the Lord-fasting, singing, teaching, witnessing, and praying—theHoly Spirit said, “OK, hitch up the wagons, fellas...westward, ho! I need Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Read Acts 11:19-26

PAUL

In every ministry, there are at least three essentials that produce an atmosphere of joyous co-operation. They are objectives, people, and places.

Read Acts 11:19-26

PAUL

Do you recall what David did after he killed Goliath? God had already appointed the young shepherd as the next king of Israel. Most young conquerors would have located the nearest Macy’s and tried on crowns. Not David. He went right back to the Judean hills to keep his father’s sheep — a true shepherd with a servant’s heart.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

PAUL

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

PAUL

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

PAUL

I need to underscore a foundational fact: God's goal is not to make sure you're happy. No matter how hard it is for you to believe this, it's time to do so. Life is not about your being comfortable and happy and successful and pain-free. It's about becoming the man or woman God has called you to be. Unfortunately, we will rarely hear that message proclaimed today. All the more reason for me to say it again: Life is not about you! It’s about God.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

PAUL

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

PAUL

Sailors on the high seas understand the importance of securing themselves to something sturdy in a fierce gale. You learn to cling to what’s secure in a storm. Paul learned to cling to what he knew to be true about himself and the Lord who held him in His grip.